Realizing the Full Potential of
Northeastern’s Urban Vision
Barry Bluestone
Dean, School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy
Director, Center for Urban & Regional Policy
Steve Zoloth
Dean, Bouve College of Health Sciences
Senior and Academic Leadership Retreat
Warren Conference Center
August 27, 2007
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From the University’s Strategic Vision
• We start with the premise that we must be committed locally and
engaged globally.
• We envision a Northeastern University that “addresses the
challenges humanity faces by opening pathways to discovery,
translating ideas into useful innovations and extending human
understanding.”
• This requires a multi-dimensional approach. We must focus locally
on our own urban environment, create a global university, and
develop expertise in some of the intersections between our urban
mission and our increasingly global nature.
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What Drives our Urban Mission?
• A Passion for Engagement
• A Passion for Solutions
• A Passion for Impact
• A Passion for Progress
• A Passion for Results
3
Northeastern’s Urban Advantage
• Northeastern is already a leader in engaging its urban
community. We have responded to changing societal
needs by forging academic and community service
partnerships designed to improve the quality of urban
life and provide learning opportunities for our students.
With our work on economic development, affordable
housing, public education, and urban health care, we
have demonstrated our influence as one of the nation's
premier urban universities.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (University-wide Efforts)
• Urban Outreach Council: University-wide Council
coordinating university efforts in the neighborhoods
surrounding Northeastern, in the City, and the State.
• President’s Commonwealth Council: Council
established to advise the Mayor of Boston and the
Governor of the Commonwealth on an array of public
policy issues.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Housing)
•
Greater Boston Housing Report Card: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy
•
Housing Studio: Juniors in the B.S. Architecture degree program spend one semester
•
issues an annual report card on the state of housing in Greater Boston that is used to monitor
progress in meeting the housing needs of Massachusetts residents.
designing urban housing solutions for area communities. Recent examples include Union Square,
Somerville; Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain; Geneva avenue, Roxbury, etc.
World Class Housing Collaborative: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy
provides direct assistance to Boston-area neighborhood associations and communitydevelopment corporations to assist in production of affordable housing.
•
Chapter 40R/40S Legislation: CURP staff led the development effort for the new
Chapter 40R and Chapter 40S housing laws in the Commonwealth.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Workforce & Community Development)
•
Older Industrial Cities Development Project: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy
analyzes barriers to business investment in older industrial cities; develops computerized selfassessment tools; creates "best practice" Web site templates, and develops training workshops for
cities and towns.
•
Manufacturing Survey: Survey of over 700 manufacturers throughout the Commonwealth to
learn what the state can do to sustain this sector that employs over 300,000 Massachusetts
workers.
•
Immigration Studies: The demographic and labor market impacts of foreign immigration in
Massachusetts, New England, and the U.S.
•
Labor Market Shortages: The shortage of workers in scientific, engineering and information
technology fields in New England
•
School-to-Work Transitions: The school to work and school to college transition experiences
of Boston public school graduates
•
Poverty and Low Income Households: The poor and low income population in New
England, Massachusetts, and the city of Boston
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Health & Community Welfare)
•
Caregiver Program: Northeastern's School of Nursing joins with community
groups to offer this annual program, which connects caregivers with information and
resources to help them care for their loved ones.
•
Community Health Outreach: NU School of Pharmacy students join with Harbor
Health Services, Inc. to offer monthly outreach programs at Walgreen's Pharmacy in
Dorchester. Topics include influenza, diabetes, and the common cold versus the flu.
•
Community Service Learning (fitness): Northeastern’s Physical Therapy
Department conducts programs for children and senior citizens with the goal of
improving health through exercise and education. Programs include Fit Kids and
Elder Exercise.
•
Institute on Urban Health Research: Conducts extensive research on racial and
class disparities in health outcomes and health care access
•
Reducing Youth Gang Violence: Research on statewide gang violence and
policing efforts.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Law & Education)
•
Law, Culture, and Difference Program: Community lawyering projects on behalf of organizations
•
National Lawyers Guild Street Law Clinics: Clinics cover tenant/landlord issues and are run by
•
Poverty Law and Practice: School of Law's students represent individuals and groups by providing legal
•
Boston Partners in Education: NU faculty members are among the participants in this program, which
•
Boston Science Partnership: The partnership links the Boston Public School System with Northeastern
•
Envision Leadership: Summer leadership program helps Boston-area high school students develop
and government entities aiding low-income clients undertaken by first year NU law students
students in the School of Law, under the supervision of an attorney, at community centers, health centers, and
other community venues.
services (litigation, legislation, lobbying, nonprofit counseling, etc.) on welfare and related economic issues.
trains and provides tutors to Boston Public Schools.
University and other institutions to significantly enhance student achievement and teacher quality in science for
grades 6–12.
leadership skills, and prepare for college and careers.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Engineering & Science)
•
ITEST: TechBoston and Northeastern University are working collaboratively to
integrate an innovative robotics curriculum into science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) courses in the Boston Public Schools and in other racially
diverse and economically disadvantaged Massachusetts school districts.
•
Marine Science Center K–12 Outreach Program: The Marine Science Center
Outreach Program in Nahant, Massachusetts, is committed to helping teachers and
their K–12 students acquire a better understanding of and appreciation for the
marine environment off the shores of eastern Massachusetts.
•
NUPRIME (NU Program In Multicultural Engineering): Cultivates diversity
and academic excellence in engineering among historically underrepresented
students, K–12.
•
STEM: Helping to shape science, technology, and engineering, and math education
for K-12 students and college undergrads.
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Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at
Northeastern (Sports/Athletics)
•
Husky Athletics Club Corporate Sponsor Community Ticket Program: Tickets for NU
•
Husky Baseball Clinic: NU baseball coaches and athletes offer baseball instruction to local boys and girls.
•
Husky Swimming/Diving Clinics: Coaches and athletes (women's swimming and diving) offer
•
athletic events are given away to community groups. Available tickets are for home events and have been donated
back to the athletic department by corporate sponsors specifically for community use.
instruction to youths.
Husky YMCA Field Hockey Clinic: The clinic introduces intercity youth to the sport of field hockey.
•
Massachusetts Student-Athlete Citizenship Awards Ceremony: The Center for the Study of
•
Squash Busters: Squash Programs for community residents.
Sport in Society and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association host two awards ceremonies (one in
Boston, the other in Springfield) honoring high school athletes who are nominated by their respective schools for
achievement in athletics, academics, and community service.
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Urban Mission Goal: To serve as a key civic leader
to better meet the Urban and Regional Challenges
facing Boston and the Commonwealth in the 21st
Century
• Undertake interdisciplinary research to address the question of local
and regional economic development more equitably shared
• Generate new policy prescriptions to enhance the competitiveness of
communities and the Commonwealth in the new global economy
• Develop new policy prescriptions to enhance the well-being of those
who are being “left behind” – in housing, employment, safe
neighborhoods, health care, and education
• Work within the neighborhoods, the City, and the state to help
implement new programs and policies that enhance economic
development more equitably distributed
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A Model for
Education &
Research
Graduate
Education
Academic
Departments
Academic
Research
Community
Engagement
Centers &
Institutes
Applied Public
Policy Research
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Model of Applied Policy Research in Practice
Rigorous Analysis of
Economic/Social
Challenge
Periodic “Report
Cards”
Cards” on
on Meeting
Progressthe
in
meeting
Challenge
Challenge
(Annual Greater
Boston Housing
Report Card)
(Housing Challenge)
Develop New Policy
Proposals to Meet the
Challenge
(Chapter 40R/40S)
Work with Civic
Collaborative to
Advocate for New
Policy
(CHTF)
Work with Civic
Collaborative to
Implement New Policy
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New Opportunities for Academic and Applied
Research/Community Engagement
• Paying our Public Bills: State & local short-term and long-term
revenue policies (taxes and revenue sharing)
• Changing demographics of Greater Boston and the Commonwealth
(age, race, nativity)
• Education and childhood development inside and outside the
schools/New models of workforce development
• Smart Growth and “Emerald Cities” – Urban transportation,
housing, energy conservation, environmental protection
• The Role and Needs of Immigrants in Greater Boston and the
Commonwealth
• Access and Cost of Health Care in the Commonwealth
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A New University-wide Urban Research and
Policy Consortium
• Creation of a consortium across colleges and schools which brings
together faculty, staff, and students who are engaged in urban
research and action
– Coordinate urban research and grant solicitation
– Provide opportunities for undergrads and graduate students
– Link with Urban Outreach Council and Stonybrook Initiative
• Strategic link between new School of Social Science, Urban Affairs,
and Public Policy with Bouve, Journalism, Architecture, Criminal
Justice, School of Law, Computer Science, and Engineering
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Possible New Urban-based Research Centers
• Center for State and Local Public Finance
• Center for the Study of Urban Education and Childhood
Development
• World Class Cities Core Center (WC4)
• Center on the Urban Elderly (CUE)
• Center for Ethics, Values, and Public Policy in State &
Local Government
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Possible New Graduate and Undergraduate
Education Programs
• Masters in Urban and Regional Policy
• Masters in Urban Public Health
• Research/Quantitative Methods Center
• Greater Boston Survey Research Center
• Massachusetts GIS/Graphics Laboratory
• Expansion of Service Learning Opportunities for Northeastern
students
• Expansion of coop program in state and local government agencies
and non-profits
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Additional Programs to Serve the Community
• Municipal Leadership Academy
• New Bostonians Summit
• Community Fellows Program
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The Urban Dimension
Building the Urban Global University of the 21st century
Expertise
Experience
Our Goals:
Exploration
• Build a broad-based, high-profile strategy to establish a significant and distinctive Northeastern
presence in the Boston community and in the world.
• Build a foundation of urban and global experience for all NU students, faculty and staff
• Build a Northeastern University that makes a difference in the community and in the world.
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